The Post Office is to be hit by a fresh strike over jobs and pay on the same day Royal Mail workers walk out over the Government’s controversial privatisation of the company.

The Communication Workers Union said its members at 372 Crown offices will take their 13th round of action next Monday, November 4, in co-ordination with a stoppage by more than 100,000 postal workers over issues linked to the sell-off of Royal Mail.

The union has been embroiled in a long-running row over plans to franchise or close more than 70 of the Crown offices, the larger branches usually sited on high streets.

Staff working in admin and supply chain functions, such as Post Office cash vans, will join next week’s strike for the first time.

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: “We are co-ordinating strike action across postal companies to increase the impact of the action and try and focus the minds of company negotiators.

“Post Office management is out of touch with its staff and customers over plans to close Crown offices and cut staff. The company is unfairly imposing pay freezes on both Crown staff and now admin and supply chain workers while senior managers have enjoyed significant bonus payments.

“These double standards cannot continue and we hope to make progress in talks this week.”

Talks are scheduled for this week to discuss the future of the Crown office network.

Union officials said the closure and franchising plans were meeting “stiff opposition” across the country with tens of thousands signing petitions, and public meetings unanimously rejecting the plans.

The CWU said a fifth of the Crown office network was affected by the plans, affecting up to 1,500 jobs.

Staff at Crown post offices have not had a pay rise since April 2011 while all other staff represented by CWU in the Post Office have had two pay rises totalling 6.75% in this period, said the CWU

The union complained that head office managers shared a bonus pot of £15.4 million last year.